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Maria Banatao: The woman behind the man
By Loida Nicolas Lewis When I texted Maria Banatao that I would like to talk to her in the morning at 11 a.m. New York time – which is 8 a.m. Los Angeles time — she told me that she would prefer to do it three hours later. Why? Because she would be going to […]
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New mobile app Sendwave: Fast, no-fees, easy way to send money home
Last year, Filipinos living and working in the United States sent over $11 billion to their loved ones and charitable causes in the Philippines. To ensure that they are able to continue providing support to their motherland, Sendwave is making it cheaper, quicker, and easier to send money by eliminating remittance fees and waiting time. […]
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Cielo Franklin: A Tagalog teacher in Perth
By Vicky Potenciano-Vitug Japan, where she met her future husband, will always occupy an endearing spot in Cielo Franklin’s heart. But it was in Australia where she discovered she could be anything she wanted to be. A computer programmer, she founded the Tagalog School of Perth in 2013, the first cultural school of its kind […]
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PNB, N.J. real estate firm ink home loan partnership
Philippine National Bank (PNB) has partnered with New Jersey-based Alexander Anderson Real Estate Group (AAREG) to beef up its marketing efforts to help push Philippine properties to Filipino Americans in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area. “We are making it easier for them to obtain a good investment while they are still in the U.S. We […]
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Struggling Astoria residents face job loss, sense of uncertainty coming out of pandemic
Eve lost her babysitting job when the family of her 4-year-old ward packed for good and moved to California in the middle of the pandemic. She is one of several thousands of Filipinos who call Astoria home. A nanny for more than 10 years, Eve – with no health insurance and other employment benefits — […]
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Fearless Filipinas and what success means to them: new book
In honor of women’s history month, new book, Fearless Filipinas: 12 Women Who Dared to Be Different, shares the stories of modern Pinay heroes in the Philippines and around the world. Filipino history has a pantheon of great Filipina leaders, such as Gabriela Silang and Melchora Aquino. In addition to these historical heroes, there are […]
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What’s brewing? A pitch for FilAms to bring PHL coffee to America
The Philippines, the fourth largest coffee consumer in the world, imports 93 percent of its coffee requirement. That fact alone opened an interesting conversation about investment opportunities in the Philippine coffee sector, featured in the Philippine Embassy’s first Agri-Negosyo webinar for Overseas Filipinos in the United States on April 8. The webinar featured presentations by TJ […]
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Creations from a crisis: Handbags with matching scarves, face masks
When Blue Dreams USA, a small farm boutique located in Frederick, Maryland was temporarily closed due to the pandemic, Imelda Roberts and Jeff Snively, co-owners, decided to find creative ways to sustain their business. To power up its online site, Blue Dreams USA is introducing a new product line called BSM-ART Wear by Imelda Roberts, […]
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How salon owner Linda Jimenez built a life from the ground up
By Vicky Potenciano-Vitug As a young child, Linda Bautista Jimenez experienced one of the most painful and traumatic experiences in her life: Her father abandoned their family. She will never forget her mother’s humiliation, anguish and despair. Nanay Berta suddenly became the sole breadwinner for her three young daughters: Ligaya, 15 years old; Betty, 12; and […]